The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1887-07-15
LONDON LETTER.
CURRENT TOPICS OF INTEREST IN
THE BRITISH METROPOLIS.
The Grand Chartreuse Monastery and Its
Famous Liqueur-PopuIar Dislike Of the
Imperial Institute scheme-The South
Kensington Gang-Success Of Plunger.
Especial Correspondence

LONDON, June 1S.-The report that
when Queen Victoria visited the Grande
Chartreuse, in the south of France, the
other week, the Pope gave her special
permit,as woman, to visit that celebrated
monastery seems to be untrue No such
permit was necessary. We have it on the
authority Of Carthusian monk that
queens may visit monasteries, and kings
and bishops may visit nunneries. by
reason of their official rank. Another
fiction has also been denied, namely, that
her majesty declined the hospitality
of the monastery. The monks had no
notice Of her visit, and they therefore
could not prepare any special repast for
her, but the Queen partook of some light
rejection, and the Grand Chartreuse is as
well known for its excellent larder as for
its splendid cellar Everybody has
heard of its liqueur, both green and yell
low. Monks derive an enormous
income from the sale of their produce. So
useful was the Grande Chartreuse to the
excise branch of the French exchequer,
and SO popular its products to the French
government, that when the republic re-
Gently passed an exceptional law affect
ing the monasteries, the Grande Char
treuse was excluded from the operation
of the measure. Nevertheless the heads
of the order decided not to put their
trust in French Radicals, and in view of
some future decree of expulsion they
purchased an estate and built very
large monastery in the county of Sussex,
near Brighton The famous liqueur is
not made at the English branch. The
monks in that house, or rather the lay
brethren, for the monks do nothing but
pray, adopt farming as an occupation.
Their agricultural machinery rather as
tonished the sleepy farmers of Sussex, but
their profits were few, if any. In fact,
the English house of the order is con-
Quoted at great loss.
The Imperial Institute, which is to be
a sort of English and colonial museum,
and which is to be erected by public SUBJ
scription to commemorate the Queens
jubilee, has not met with much warm
approval on the part of the public. Of
the half million sterling required, the
promoters will possibly get 100000,
which is not a small sum for public
building. One reason for this GOODNESS
has arisen out of the fear that the insti-
tute will be largely intended to find
comfortable berths and appointments
for Sir P. Cunliffe Owen and the "South
Kensington gang" who have been en-
ployed on the fisheries, the inventions and
the colonial exhibitions. A strong
conviction prevails that many of
these gentlemen accepted heavy brides
from some of the exhibitors, and one of
the city financial newspapers has pub
lished series of so-called exposures.
1t is further alleged that Sir Cunliffe
Owen and his gang" have spent their
funds very extravagantly. The balance
sheet lately published shows just the
contrary. 1t proves that the Colonial
Exhibition of last year not only pro-
duced profit Of E25,000, but other
f15, 900 or 100000 of the profits were
devoted to paying off the Indebtedness of
some of the preceding exhibitions. The |
charges against the gang" and certainly
as against Sir Cunliffe Owen, have never
been established. Brides there were |
most likely among the smaller fry, and |
one or two of the latter, with rather |
small salaries, were noticed to grow rich |
with great rapidity. But Sir Cunliffe
Owen took his public honorarium Quite
openly. After one of the exhibitions |
some three years ago he accepted $4,000
among the exhibitors but this
was done without concealment. 1t would
have been better for one in Sir Philip
Owens position not to have taken the !